The Effect of Increasing the Axial Load of Column and Vertical Distributed Loads on Frame Bay on Behavior of Thin Steel Plate Shear Wall

To date, no research attempts have been made to evaluate rate of axial load in columns changed due to vertical component of earthquake or increase in vertical distributed loads on the load-resisting bay due to the change of use of the building. Accordingly, this study is intended to investigate the effect of rise in these two parameters on general behavior of the steel plate shear wall (SPSW) system. For this purpose, 5-, 10- and 15-story structures including 3 bays and 9 cases of increase in rate of loads, were analyzed using the nonlinear static analysis (pushover). Based on the results, as rate of the loads increases, behavioral characteristics of the SPSW such as ductility, response modification coefficient, energy dissipation and shear capacity are reduced. Importantly, given the fact that following increase in axial load of columns, their stability is undermined, the effect of increase in axial load of columns is profounder when compared to the rate of vertical distributed loads on the frame bay. Accordingly, it was observed that the characteristic parameters are diminished more intensely. Secondary stiffness grows and initial stiffness (elastic stiffness) is not affected. Comparing the ductility and response modification coefficient, it was observed that increase in width of SPSW bays, improves them and increase in height of building, decreases them.